Drop Your Nets and Follow

Where We Are

We enter Ordinary Time with the Monday of the First Week. The great feasts of Christmas, Epiphany, and the Baptism of the Lord are behind us, and the Church now walks with Jesus through his public ministry. In the first reading, we begin the story of Hannah from 1 Samuel, a woman whose heartbreak and faith will shape the future of Israel. In Mark's Gospel, Jesus launches his ministry in Galilee with an urgent proclamation and an irresistible call. The Kingdom is at hand, and everything changes.

The Word

In 1 Samuel, we meet Hannah, one of the wives of Elkanah. She is childless and taunted by Peninnah, Elkanah's other wife who has children. Despite her husband's love, Hannah weeps bitterly during their annual pilgrimage to Shiloh, unable to eat. In the Gospel, after John the Baptist is arrested, Jesus begins proclaiming in Galilee: "The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel." Walking by the Sea of Galilee, he calls Simon and Andrew, then James and John, brothers mending their nets. Each pair immediately leaves everything to follow him.

Continue Reading

Sign in to read the full devotional and receive it in your inbox each morning - a quiet moment of reflection to start your day.

Send me the daily devotional by email each morning

By signing in, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Reflect

The speed of the disciples' response is astonishing. Mark does not describe long deliberations or theological conversations. Jesus says "Follow me," and they leave their nets, their boats, their father. This immediacy reveals something about the power of Jesus's presence. The call itself carries the grace to respond.

But we should not romanticize the moment. These men were leaving their livelihood, their family obligations, and their social standing. Fishing was not a hobby; it was their identity and their income. Following Jesus meant stepping into radical uncertainty.

Hannah's story provides a counterpoint. While the disciples respond with speed, Hannah endures a long season of waiting. Her womb is closed, her rival mocks her, and even her husband's well-meaning words fall short. Yet she does not give up. She brings her pain to God year after year. Both stories teach the same truth from different angles: faith requires letting go, whether that means dropping nets in an instant or holding on to hope through years of unanswered prayer.

As Ordinary Time begins, Jesus's call is addressed to us. The "nets" we need to drop are different for everyone: a grudge, a habit, a comfortable routine that keeps us from growing. The Kingdom is at hand, not in the distant future. The question is whether we will respond with the urgency of Peter and Andrew or keep mending our nets.

Living It

What are your "nets"? Identify one thing you are clutching that keeps you from responding more freely to God's call. It might be a fear, a comfort, a relationship pattern, or a schedule that leaves no room for the sacred. Name it today.

Hannah brought her pain directly to God without pretending she was fine. If you are in a season of waiting or grief, be honest with God about it. There is no need to perform strength. Authentic prayer is the beginning of freedom.

Do one thing today that requires you to "leave your boat." Take a step of discipleship that feels uncomfortable: volunteer for something new, start a difficult conversation, or commit to a spiritual practice you have been postponing.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you walked along the shore of Galilee and called ordinary people to extraordinary lives. We hear your voice today, inviting us to follow. Give us the courage to drop our nets, whatever holds us back from wholehearted response. Comfort those among us who, like Hannah, are enduring seasons of waiting. Teach us that your Kingdom is at hand, right here, right now, and that the first step is always trusting you enough to let go. Amen.